by Zara Novak
She stared at herself, looking back at the girl in the mirror who was now a vampire. “Fuck.” She laughed. “If only Kat could see me now. She’d about blow a gasket to know that not only are vampires real, but I am one.”
She turned from the mirror and walked into the hallway. “Wherever you are Kat, I hope you’re okay.”
Ruth stood in front of the door, with her hand hovering over the handle. She was just about to leave, when she heard a sound from behind.
Pivoting on her heels, she spun to face the opposite direction. Ahead of her there was the stairs, the kitchen and…
The door to the basement.
Ruth briefly recalled Edmund’s warning to stay away from the basement. She considered following his warning for a moment, and then decided not to.
“Fuck it.” Ruth said as she walked to the basement door under the stairs. “If you don’t want me to break rules, don’t leave me here on my own.”
She rattled the door in it’s frame, realizing that it was locked. Her ears picked up a sound that normally would have escaped her. There was the sound of footsteps coming from below, slowly rising up a staircase.
Ruth stood with bated breath, frozen at the power of her new senses. The footfall got louder until it was right on the other side of the basement door. There was the muted sound of a lock turning in it’s tumbler, then the door opened to reveal a young girl, the same age as herself.
“I’m just packing up the last of my things Josh-” The girl froze upon seeing it wasn’t Edmund at the door.
“Josh?” Ruth raised an eyebrow. “What the fuck are you talking about? Who is Josh?”
“Oh, sorry.” The girl stammered. “I didn’t realize there was anyone else here. I’m just packing up the last of my things now, I’ll be gone in an hour.”
Ruth pulled a face. “What the fuck is this? Who are you?”
“I’m-”
“No.” Ruth put a hand in the girl’s face. “I don’t give a fuck.” She pulled her eyes up and down the girl’s body, unable to ignore the fantastic scent of fresh blood flowing underneath her skin.
“You must be Josh’s tenant right?” Ruth lied. “He said you’re moving out today.”
“Right.” The girl said, not sure if she believed that Ruth was aware what was going on. “And …he mentioned this to you?”
“Yeah.” Ruth lied again. “As a matter of fact, he asked me to see if you need a hand moving to your new place.”
“Oh.”
Silence beat between them. Ruth noticed the girl’s heartbeat had gathered. She heard her fingers tighten on the door frame. She was ready to run.
“That’s cool.” The girl continued. “He probably mentioned that I’m only moving down the street. So moving shouldn’t be too much hassle.”
“Yeah exactly.” Ruth lied. “Just down the street. He said that too.”
“I didn’t tell him where I was moving.” The girl said coldly, catching Ruth in her lie.
“Well I-”
The girl went to slam the door in Ruth’s face. Ruth reacted fast, so fast she surprised herself in fact. The door wasn’t even halfway closed before she surged forward and slammed the girl against the wall.
“Stop!” The girl squealed as Ruth held her up off the floor with ease. “Let me go!”
“I’m sorry darling.” Ruth said in a black velvet voice as she eyed up the alabaster skin of her victim’s throat. “The only place you’re moving is underground.”
*
That first one had been for fun.
Ruth had no idea that being a vampire was such a riot. She hadn’t meant to finish the girl off, but drinking from her until she was dry… it just kind of happened.
She was finally back in the outside world, and she was tasting the scent of adventure that the night air brought with it.
She had stolen a car from a house down the road. She kicked the front door of the house in, and found the keys on the side in the kitchen. The real fun had come when the young buck swaggered in with a baseball bat, screaming at Ruth to put the keys down.
He took one swipe at her and the bat splintered over her arm into a thousand pieces. She took one look at the guy, laughed and threw him across the kitchen to crash into the cabinets on the other side.
She hadn’t drank from him, and she probably hadn’t killed him. She’d only needed a ride.
Following the signs for Dead Rest, Ruth rolled down the window and lit up a cigarette that she’d taken from the console. The night was young, and she was in the mood for more violence.
She’d now discovered that violence was now her third love, accompanying the greater two: blood and lust.
There was something about using her new found strength to overpower people that just felt amazing. She was surprised at how little guilt or remorse she felt. It was almost like those parts of her had been removed. The only thing she felt now was the thrill of indulgence, but there was one thing she wanted to indulge now above all rest.
Revenge.
Ruth brought the car to a screeching halt outside the bar. The old man who snatched her had been dumb enough to let her ride up front in his big creepy van, and he hadn’t covered her eyes during any of the ride. She’d memorized the route he’d taken, but she knew the part of town it was in anyway. There weren’t many streets in Dead Rest full of closed down shops.
She killed the engine, stepped out of the car and looked up at the sign over the door.
“Black Font.” Ruth said as she read the words back to herself. “Pretty dumb name.”
She walked through the front door with gusto, down into the basement and through the doors that led to the main bar. The room was empty.
When the old man had brought her here, they’d come through a back entrance of some sort. She’d been in a tiled room. Ruth peered around the room she was in now. She walked to the bar and to her right she saw the blurred picture of a tiled room through plastic curtains in a door.
“Bingo.”
Ruth hopped over the bar and pushed through the sheets of plastic, finding herself in a tiled room much like the one she’d woken in. Looking over to her right, she could see the room she had been kept in.
In fact, there in the room she saw the stooped figure of the man who had taken her, huddled over another body on the bed. Ruth walked through the room silently, pushing the curtains aside as she walked through the second doorway. She let them slap closed behind her and stood behind the old man.
He remained stooped over the unconscious girl on the bed. He straightened up a little and spoke without looking back.
“Something told me you’d come back. I knew you were bad news when I realized how bad you tasted.” The old man turned and looked upon Ruth with his blind eyes. There was a twisted smile on his face.
Ruth stood, trembling with rage. Unable to give any words to the man that had sealed her fate.
“That’s it is it? Come back to kill an old man? I’m not the one who turned you, you stupid cunt. That was that fucking oaf that took you from me. He’ll get bored of you soon. He always does.”
Ruth took two steps forward and picked a crowbar up from off the side.
“I’ll have to warn you.” The old man continued. “I’m stronger than I-”
Time slowed to a crawl for Ruth as she whisked through the air, with the crowbar held high above her. She brought the metal crashing down upon the man’s skull a dozen times over, and then she grabbed him and threw him into the wall behind her.
When she came to her senses again, she was stood above him, holding the crow bar.
“Is that it?” The man said through torrents of blood. “Can’t finish me can you? Haven’t got the guts. New vampires these days, they’re all the same. You can’t even talk. But you were so vocal when I snatched you…”
Ruth slammed the end of the crow bar down through the chest of the man, and he burst into a ball of flame and fire. She stood there for a moment, listening to her breath roar.
“You ca
n burn in hell pig fucker. I have no words left for you.”
She dropped the metal to the floor, walked back through the bar, up the stairs and into the outside world once more.
She stood on the step of the Black Font and pulled a cigarette from her jacket, lit it up and took a few puffs.
“Well, well. Someone is having fun tonight.”
Ruth turned to see an old man standing on the corner up ahead.
“Fuck off old man.” She hissed. “I’ve already killed one wrinkled bastard tonight. I’m not hesitant to make it two.”
“Such anger.” The stranger stepped forward into the light, and Ruth could see him better. She let out an involuntary gasp at seeing the frailty of the man. His skin was drawn so tight across his bones, he looked just like a skeleton.
“Jesus dude.” Ruth reared her head and stepped back from the stranger. “Eat a fucking hamburger or something. Your BMI must be in the negatives.”
“Oh I assure you, it’s all just a trick of the light.” The man said in a dark whisper. “A tactic to make people underestimate me…”
The man’s face started to move. Shifting and morphing into that of a difference face. His cheeks filled out, his eyes became wholesome and lifelike again. By the time he had finished changing, his face was a completely different one. A healthy face, albeit, a face that Ruth had once known from somewhere.
“What the fuck are you!?” Ruth scrambled back and reached for the car keys in her pocket.
“Oh I’m a a vampire. Much as you are Ruth - but with some slightly superior differences.”
Ruth side stepped around the car to the driver’s side, not taking her eyes off the man approaching.
“No.” He said with a warm smile while shaking his head. “You’re not going anywhere. You’re coming with me.”
19. Ansel
Moving the last box into the back of the SUV, Ansel shut the trunk door quietly and stood there for a moment in the garage, hating himself. He didn’t want to leave Kat alone like this. It felt cheap. The night they spent together last night was nothing short of amazing, he should have been there this morning to be there with her.
Still. He’d come to the realization that Kat was too special. He couldn’t give her the chance to come with him. If she got hurt, he’d never stop hating himself.
He pulled the driver’s door open and heard a cough from behind him. Ansel turned and was shocked to see Kat stood there in the doorway with her arms crossed.
“Going somewhere are we?”
Ansel shut the door again and stared at Kat, stammering. “Kat… I thought you were going to be asleep for a few more hours. What are you doing up?”
“I came down here to ask you the same question. You’re really leaving me here without giving me a choice?”
“I did give you a choice.” Ansel said. “But I’m taking it back now. It’s too risky for you to come Kat. I’m sorry I’m sneaking out like this, but I knew if you woke with me this morning - I knew you’d want to come along too.
“Of course I would.” Kat scoffed, as if Ansel had said the most obvious thing in the world. “All we’ve been through now, everything we shared last night - and you’re not prepared to let me share this next step with you? That hurts Ansel.”
“I’d share anything with you Kat. It’s not about that. I just can’t risk you getting hurt.”
“Let me help you.” Kat said, taking a step forward. “Let me come with you. Let me find this witch. We can do this together.”
Ansel stared at Kat silently, working her over with his eyes. “It is too dangerous, I could never forgive myself if I allowed harm to come to you like that.”
Kat took another step. “And what alternative do I have? You already said it yourself back at the club - they saw my face. They have my image on the camera. They know who I am Ansel. If you’re not here to protect me…”
“They don’t know that we’re here.” Ansel said. “It’s safe for you here. You can hide until I get back.”
“And if you die?” She said. “Then what? Live up here for the rest of my life?” Kat shook her head. “If you’re going on a suicide mission, then at least let me go with you so I can tell you when you have to duck.”
Ansel took a step forward and placed a hand on Kat’s. “It’s too dangerous Kat, I just can’t-”
“I have my cognizance Ansel. I can look after myself. I know when things are going to go south, before you do. You need me, and I need you - there’s a reason we were brought together. This is it. I’m meant to help you.”
Kat stared into his twinkling red eyes, which were only inches from her own now.
He looked down at the white dress that Kat was wearing, finding that it felt familiar to him for some reason.
“That dress.” He said half shocked. “Where did you get it?”
Kat looked down in confusion. “Out of the wardrobe… along with all the others… why?”
Suddenly a memory played in Ansel’s mind. He was back in the cell at the castle Vesper… standing over the dying witch, Azu.
“…And one last thing Ansel Draco,” She had said, “Watch for the woman in the white dress. She will be your savior…”
Ansel found himself back in the room, staring blankly at Kat.
“Ansel… is everything alright?” She placed a hand on his shoulder, bringing him back into the room fully.
“You’re right.” He broke from his trance and looked straight into Kat’s eyes. “It might be dangerous… but we need to go together. The woman in white…”
Kat stared at Ansel as if he were half mad. “What?”
“It’s just something the witch said to me… the first one. I think you’re meant to come with me Kat. I see it now. I’m sorry I tried to sneak out on you like this…”
Surging forward, Ansel wrapped Kat in a tight hug and pulled her close to him. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, tasting her on the air as he did so.
“I guess I can come to forgive you.” Kat chuckled lightly as they pulled away from each other. “You’re acting damn weird though. Maybe I should drive for a bit first?”
“It’s okay.” Ansel shook his head and smiled. “I think all the blood from my brain is still circling down in my nether regions after last night. I’m not thinking straight… that’s what happens after mind blowing sex.”
Kat’s brows perked up. “So it was mind blowing for you too?”
“Are you joking?” Ansel grabbed the girl around the waist and pulled her in tight. “If we didn’t have to get going, I’d take you for another round right now.”
“Come on.” Kat kissed Ansel on the lips and motioned toward the car. “Let’s hit the road first. Maybe we can find somewhere to stop on our trip?” Kat wriggled out of Ansel’s grasp, winked and skipped over to the other side of the car.
They both climbed in to the SUV, and Ansel started the engine. He plugged the coordinates Hurst had given him into the navigation system, and hit the door for the garage. They pulled out and the wheels of the large vehicle rumbled over the gravel driveway.
It was still dark out. The drive down to the main road and back to the outer border of Dead Rest took about fifteen minutes. When they were back in town, Ansel directed the SUV onto the highway pointing north, the road which led to the border.
“Feel free to play DJ.” Ansel joked to Kat a little later that morning. “It’s a long drive, and entertainment wouldn’t go a miss.”
“Sure.” Kat flicked on the radio and started hopping through the channels until she came across a station that played decent rock music.
“Rock fan aye?” Ansel turned and looked at Kat with a smile. “Maybe I’ve found myself a good girl after all.”
The outer limits of Dead Rest faded away, until trees and fields took the spot on the horizon. The highway carried on dead ahead, carrying them to the promise of something new, something unknown.
The last couple of hours Ansel had spent with Kat had been mind blowing. The intimacy betwee
n them had reached bursting point, and had spilled out like a dam breaking it’s banks.
He felt giddy almost, like a teenager at the start of their very first relationship. One look from Kat and something span alive inside of him, something that he hadn’t felt for the longest time, even before he was a vampire.
Just taking his arms away from the girl drove an urge inside of him to return to her. It was as if they were one unit, and being separated now felt wholly unnatural.
At any opportunity, he wanted to steal a glance from her picture perfect eyes. He wanted to sneak up behind and hold her tight. He wanted to press his face into her hair and smell the sweet floral scent of her body.
He wanted all of her, all the time.
They drove for a couple of hours, until the sun had slowly risen. It was to the right of them, sitting at a midpoint in the sky. Being out in the daylight was truly alien to Ansel now, even if he was behind three protective layers of UV coating. He pulled his black goggles on, and carried on driving.
The radio offered up good songs, bad songs and a lot of mediocre songs. It was background noise to them mostly. Ansel and Kat spent a good majority of the drive just talking. They talked about anything and everything, and the conversation was so natural between that it felt like a breath of fresh air for Ansel.
It wasn’t until the announcement came on the radio that they fell silent properly for the first time.
“Quiet a sec.” Kat said as she turned up the radio. “I think I just heard something.”
“…both women in their early twenties, and have been missing since last Friday. It’s believed their disappearance is possibly connected to the shooting that occurred at Avalon night club, although there is no solid evidence to suggest it. Police are appealing for any witnesses to come forward, who may have knowledge on the whereabouts of Kat and Ruth Summers…”
“Ruth…” Kat turned off the radio and stared into the quiet of the car. The only sound around them now was the faint hiss of the tarmac underneath. “Ansel she’s missing too! I knew something had happened.” Kat leaned forward and put her hands on the dashboard. “I think I feel sick.”
